YOU NEED ROCLA! ROCLA NEEDS YOU!

 

Dear Solidarity Activist,

This isn’t an easy time to be a Latin America solidarity activist. As always, the U.S. is interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign nations in the region. From Colombia to Mexico, from Honduras to Venezuela, from Cuba to Nicaragua, the heavy hand of the U.S. government is pushing against the forces of democracy and the hopes of the people.

The situation for people of the Latin American diaspora is dire. We are living in a time of a truly evil campaign against undocumented people in this country. Families are being shattered, children are being imprisoned, and everywhere we look we see pain and despondency.

The Rochester Committee on Latin America is the organization that works every day to counteract the terrible policies of the U.S. government and of savage capitalism.

On the first Wednesday of each month, ROCLA invites expert speakers to present a program about Latin American topics of current importance, as well as domestic topics such as immigration and migrant labor. Without ROCLA, these critical issues would mostly go unheard in Rochester. Our speakers donate immense time and effort to the causes in which they are active. So, it’s fair to pay them a modest honorarium.

For example, on Wednesday, November 6th, at 7:00 PM Professor Steve Ellner, who works in Venezuela but is currently in Washington, DC will give the ROCLA presentation at Downtown United Presbyterian Church. (He is an honored scholar in both Venezuela and the U.S. Check his Wikipedia page.)

ROCLA works with Friendshipment to help offset the effects of the cruel and illegal embargo on Cuba imposed by our government.

On April 17, 2020, ROCLA will present the annual Rice and Beans Dinner, when we will honor a national or international solidarity activist with the White Dove Award.

ROCLA is important and effective, and we need money to continue to do our work. It’s unthinkable that the U.S. government will provide funds for ROCLA’s work. That’s because much of what we do is to oppose and try to change U.S. policy towards the nations and people of Latin America, including Latin Americans that are treated unfairly when they come to the U.S. Misguided U.S. foreign policy has caused great harm to millions of people in all of Latin America. Misguided U.S. immigration policy has done equal harm to people who are forced to come to the U.S. for safety and economic survival. Each year ROCLA turns to members and asks for donations. We hope you will do your share to keep ROCLA healthy and active.

Membership is only $30.00/year. (More if possible, less if necessary.)

Thank you very much from ROCLA’s Steering Committee: Marilyn Anderson, Kathy Goforth, Bob Kaiser, Grania Marcus, Arnie Matlin, Gail Mott, Peter Mott, Esperanza Roncero, Richard Rosen, Vic Vinkey, and Tom Ward.

ROCLA is proud to be a Task Force of the Metro Justice Education Fund.